(Trenton) - The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced that Interstate 80 westbound traffic will be returned to the original configuration as the newly reconstructed bridge deck over Berkshire Valley Road in the Township of Roxbury, Morris County is reopened this weekend.

Beginning on Friday, December 17, NJDOT’s contractor, Crisdel Group Inc., will shift I-80 westbound traffic from the temporary bridge in the median back onto the mainline highway. This traffic shift will require overnight single and double-lane closures on I-80 westbound between 9 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday, and single lane closures from 6 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday.

Traffic is expected to be returned to the original pattern by 10 a.m. Sunday, December 19.

I-80 westbound traffic has been using a temporary bridge over Berkshire Valley Road since March while the existing bridge deck was demolished and a new one installed. The temporary bridge structure will remain in place, because reconstruction of the I-80 eastbound bridge deck will begin in spring 2011.

The temporary bridge enables NJDOT to maintain three travel lanes on I-80 during the demolition of the existing bridge decks and construction of the new decks. By keeping traffic and vibrations away from the construction, the new bridge decks are expected to last significantly longer than bridge decks built with conventional traffic staging.

The $11 million federally funded project is replacing both structurally deficient I-80 bridge decks over Berkshire Valley Road, as well as constructing new bridge support beams and bearings.

Variable message signs on I-80 are in place to notify motorists of upcoming construction and traffic pattern changes. NJDOT provides emergency roadway information, construction schedule updates and real time traffic information and images at www.511nj.org